Flexible type button



Sept. l, 1931. LQR. cARLEY ETAL I 1,821,614 y FLEXIBLE TYPE BUTTON Filed Feb: 24, 1931 MIII Inventor:

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l'fatenteel Sept. 1, 193.1*

STATES PATENT ori-*ice LEONARD R. CARIJEY, VO11" VJATEETOWN, AND FRANKLIN R. WHITE, OF VTATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOBS TO PATENT BUTTON COMPANY, OF XVATERBRY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT FLEXIBLE TYPE BUTTON Application le February 24, 1931. Serial No. 518,009.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in buttons, and more particularly to what is known as the flexible type, that is, where the head may shift or tilt with relation to its base.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flexible button that is especially adaptable for use with buckles or loops that are used at the ends of suspender or shoulder straps, so that the loop may be passed over the button and quickly pulled in place or as quickly removed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flexible type of button to be used'in this manner, so that the loop, after once being placed over the button, will slide or slip up the base of the button to tightly engage the hub of the button directly under the headv thereof.

' Furthermore, the hub fits far enough down into the base of the button, even when the head is in its tilted or in vertically raised position, that the eyelet cannot get under the lower edge of the hub.

Still another object of the invention'vis to provide a flexible type button wherein the base will be slightly concaved on its Vunder surface so as to be drawn down tightly against the cloth.

Still another object is to provide an upwardly and inwardly sloping outer wall to the base so that as the loop, after being passed over the button head, is moved it is bound to ride up the sloping wall and thus properly engage the hub of the button. v

till another object of the invention is t have the hub of the button head nest sufficiently far down within the base and be so limited in its upward movement that the lower edge of the hub will always be below the upper edge of the base.

till another object of the invention is toprovide a button of the flexible type that will be exceedingly strong in structure, easily assembled and efficient in operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment,

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional View of a preferred forni of flexible button with certain of v the parts separated prior to attachment;

vl? ig. 2 is a similar view after the assembly;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on a reduced scale, showing a wire loop ready to be pulled into engagement with the button; A

F ig. 4l is a similar view to Fig. 3 butvshowing the loop pulled into gripping engage-v ment withk the button;

Fig. 5 is a detail section of the form of base used throughout the several figures'of the drawings;

Y Fig. 6 shows top and bottom detail plan views of the base; Y t

Fig. 7 is a side view illustrating the loop riding up the inclined'base of the button.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and for the moment to Fig. 1 there will be seen a button head 1 comprising the body shell 2 having the integral hollow hub 3 with the downwardly inturned lower rim 4. There may also be seen ya cap 5 of any desired type fitting tightly about the upwardly flared rim 6 of the body shell 2, there having been placed an anvil 7 under the cap before the latter is rimmed into position.

Of course, the body shell and cap may be of any desired metal, and the cap may have any desired insignia stamped therein. This button head, as far as has been explained, may be of the type as shown in a companion application filed by Leonard R. Carley andy l/Vater T. Abel on February 24, 1931, bearing Serial No. 518,010, for fanciful buttons and themethod of making the same.

Referring to the eyelet or base 8, it will be seen that there is provided a central hollow hub 9, the upper end of which is bent outwardly to form a rim 9', and this rim is crimped over the inwardly projecting rim 4 of the hub 3 of the button head 1. This hub 9 merges with the bottom surface 10 of the base which, as may be seen in the drawings, is slightly concaved, so that when the base is drawn tightly against the cloth 11 it will be sure to tightly hug the same. From the bottom surface l0 of the base there 10G is shown the vertically extending wall 12, which is turned back on itself, as at 13, and then extends downwardly to form the wall 14 which, it will be seen, also slopes outwardly and may finally be turned inwardly, as at 15, if so desired. There may be or may not be a little space left, as at 16, between the turned-in portion 15 and the circular wall 12, so that any fluid may seep out of the space 16 that might accumulate during the making and finishing of this part.

We have shown the lower edge or rim 15 extending inwardly, but it will be understood that this may be extended outwardly, if desired. It is also to be noted thatthe upper edge of the base, that is, where the metal is bent back on itself, as at 13, is in a plane higher than the horizontal plane of the crimped edge il of the hub,so that when a loop 17 is passed over the button head there is nov danger of the wire of the loop getting under the lower edge of the hub which might tend to jam the loop between the base and the hub of the Ybutton head.im

As may be seen in Figs. 1 and 2, there is forced within the hub of the eyelet or base a small die 18 which may be of the split type, so that when the prong 19 of a tack fastener' 20 is forced through the cloth 11 into this small' die 18 it will tend to spread the saine slightly to thus .fasten it tightly in position within the hub of the eyelet or base.

When the tack fastener is jammed up into the button head, the parts will be as shown in Fig. 2, so that as the tack deforme it will fill' the little die and am the same tightly over the upper edge of the hub of the eyelet, so that now the base 8 will be rigidly secured to. the cloth and the button head may move vertically with respect to the base or eyelet from its lowermost position, as shown in Fig.

2, to its uppermost position, as shown in Fig. 1. The button head may also tilt slightly with respect to the base, as is well understood.

As may be seen in Fig. 7, which is an enlarged view of the button and loop, when the wire of the loop is passed over the button head and the loop pulled so that its restricted portion will engage the base or eyelet it will naturally slip right up. the inclined peripheralr wall of the base, so that the restrict-ed portion of the loop will quickly pass around the` hub andassume its final position.

Thus, it will be seen that no matter how quickly or carelessly the loop is passed over the button head. the slightest pull on the loop will cause the wire of the loop to slide up the walls of the base and have the sides of the loop engage the hub l of the button head while a continued pull on the loop will quickly fasten the. loop in position.

By inclining the walls of the base or eyelet and slightly concaving` the lower surface of the base, and by turning in the lower end manera of the sloping walls of the base, there is no possibility of tl e loop being forced in between the base and the cloth but, on the other hand, the loop is bound to slip right up to engage the hub of the button head.

It is also pointed out that there is no danger of the loop becoming jammed between the lower wall of the hub of the button head and the upper wall of the base.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that we have provided a flexible type button that will rock or tilt slightly with relation to its base, will move vertically with relation to its base, and linally will cause the loop to be guided up the base when the same is placed over the button head to thus position itself directly in engagement with the hub of the button head.

lll'any slight changes might be made without in any way departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentis'zn 1. A flexible type button including a button head having a hollow hub, an eyelet also having a hollow hub, the hub of he button head crimped onto the hub of the eyelet so that the hub may move vertically with respect to the eyelct, an expan-fible ydie jammed vithin said hub, the eyelet provided with an outer downwardly and outwardly sloping wall, and the lower edge of the downwardly and outwardly sloping wall being turned inwardly toward said hub of the eyelet. Y

Q.. A flexible type button con'tprising a head and a base, the head vertically movable and irremovably attached to said base, the base provided with an upwardly extend-ing wall to thereby nest the hub of the button head in said base, a downwardly and out` wardly outer extending wall merging with the said verticalv wall to thereby guide a loop, when placed about said wall, up and around the hub of the button head., an anvil in said button head, and a die jammed within the hub of the base adapted to receive and deform a fastening member.

3. A flexible type button. comprising a head anda base, the button head movably sliding with respect to said base, the under surface of the base being concave and the ou wall of the base sloping inwardly toward the button head.. and the upper edge of the base extending above the lower edge of the huh of the button head at all times.

In testimony whereof we aliix our signatures.

LEONARD R. GARLEY. FRANKLIN R. WHITE. 

